Burning Man cleared a major regulatory hurdle when its Mass Temporary Event Permit application was approved June 26 by the Central Nevada Health District.
The Health District, which serves the residents of Fallon, Churchill County, Mineral County, Eureka County, and Pershing County, is in its second year as the lead agency overseeing environmental health at the annual event, a responsibility previously managed by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. CNHD staff are working in partnership with the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the state’s Environmental Health Division as part of a mentoring program to ensure complete understanding of the event’s complex operations.
Permit fees are based on projected daily attendance for 30 days, from Aug. 7 to Sept. 5. This year’s permit totals $42,478, with daily attendance expected to surge during event week, drawing between 46,000 and 69,000 attendees—or “burners”—per day.
One of CNHD’s regulatory responsibilities includes inspecting at least 50% of the approximately 400 temporary permits issued for food vendors, potable water systems, and wastewater hauling.
Before issuing this year’s permit, the Health District required that three conditions be met. First, CNHD requested a daily briefing with representatives from the Nevada Department of Agriculture, Burning Man’s public health liaison, the medical lead, and the operations manager. While this is the first year such briefings have been required, Burning Man officials worked with CNHD to schedule daily meetings at a mutually agreeable time. The parties also agreed to meet via Zoom to accommodate participants at various locations.
“Although the daily meetings may not always be necessary, we want to build a strong partnership with CNHD staff,” said Marnee Benson, director of government affairs for Burning Man.
The second condition required Burning Man to designate a public health liaison to serve as CNHD’s direct point of contact. Benson and Katie Hoffman, agency relations manager for Burning Man, will continue serving in that role.
The third requirement involved communication access. CNHD requested direct radio or emergency phone contact with event operations. In response, Burning Man committed to providing CNHD with access to its on-site pager system, along with Wi-Fi coverage to allow for basic cellular communications.
“We work with over 15 different federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, including the Central Nevada Health District,” Benson said. “Burning Man supports CNHD in numerous ways during the planning season and during our event in Black Rock City. The protocols we’ve developed over the years with the Nevada Division of Public & Behavioral Health and CNHD create a reliable and efficient system to help ensure the agency can operate effectively and members of the public are protected.”
The Health District also ratified a contract with the Department of Agriculture for staffing assistance to complete required inspections. That contract totals $10,559.85, plus per diem costs.
The district’s pre-planning budget for this year totals $57,493.42, with staffing accounting for $22,800, the NDA contract at $10,559.85, and additional expenses—such as supplies, RVs, volunteer transportation, and a golf cart—estimated at $24,133.57.
Combined revenue from the mass event permit and other temporary permits is expected to total $60,428.
The Bureau of Land Management also requires a Special Recreation Permit to hold the event on federal lands. The BLM’s Black Rock Field Office has enacted a five-year temporary closure on public lands immediately surrounding the Burning Man site to protect natural resources, ensure public safety, and allow coordinated support between law enforcement agencies. The 2025 closure is in effect from July 24 to Oct. 5.
The Central Nevada Health District manages a wide range of services for its five-county region, including environmental health, clinical health services, public health preparedness, and communicable disease investigation.
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